


Between Pages

by YoungSoon



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Eventual Romance, M/M, Romance, Wonkyun, autumn vibes, soft vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 17:23:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16602338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungSoon/pseuds/YoungSoon
Summary: He’shere again.Hewas here yesterday and the day before that. Every timehecomes to the library more and more butterflies go insane in ChangKyun's chest. Where could this feeling lead?





	Between Pages

He’s here again. He was here yesterday and the day before that. Honestly, he had been in the library every day for almost two weeks. The weather didn’t matter - had it been a sunny day and the autumn sun was setting with an orange and purple hue behind the city towers or haad it rained the whole day, soaking the fallen leaves and creating reflective puddles on every step. He was here every day for almost two weeks and aways at the same time around an hour before closing time. Sometimes he would come with a gym bag on his shoulder, sometimes he was obviously wearing a suit underneath his jacket, a briefcase in his hands.

He always had the softest gaze in his warm, chestnut brown eyes as he walked through the aisles - from science to mangas, from thrillers to children’s books. His hand would occasionally thread through the black arches of hair. His tongue would sometimes dart out between the full pink lips and sometimes, just sometimes he would catch ChangKyun staring. The warmest smile would appear on his face and send packs of crazed butterflies through ChangKyun’s chest.

ChangKyun wished the frames of his round glasses would thicker, the bangs of the caramel brown hair longer or the collar of his sweater higher - anything for him to hide. The usual option was to look at the registration desk and pretend he was doing something important. A silly reaction but he had no other action plan as for now.

He noticed the broadly built man a while ago as he had come in around 6 PM together with a chatty fellow, who had to be shushed three times. At the moment he did not look very interested in any of the books or what his companion was saying as he tried to find something in the manga section. Just for the briefest second, his eyes met ChangKyun’s that day, while his friend was checking out a pile of manga, and his face was instantly engraved in ChangKyun’s memory.

Because of his job - a librarian in an averagely sized library in one of the more green districts of the city - he saw plenty of faces in a day and he knew the regulars, but something about the man’s face, about the way his eyes changed when he saw ChangKyun made him special. Even more the fact that he returned the next day and the day after that was something unusual.

The man never checked out a book. In fact, he didn’t even have a library card so ChangKyun didn’t know his name. He just walked between the aisles for around half an hour, sometimes picking out a random book and going through the pages. At first, it seemed he might be waiting for a bus, but it took one walk home for ChangKyun to understand there were no bus stops nearby. So why was he here every day?

 

It had been a wonderful, sunny day. The sun had shone through the windows into the book filled space, bringing its warm light to the tables that today had been filled with students from the nearest university. It was one of those days that promised something good, even if no one could understand what it was.

“You should just go and talk to him,” Jooheon - a regular who had been coming to the same library even before ChangKyun had started working there - said as he leaned against the information desk.

“No. That will be bothersome,” ChangKyun brushed him off and continued to rearrange already well-arranged papers in his workspace.

“I would be grateful if someone helped me if I was obviously looking for something,” he says and picks up the four books ChangKyun had registered a moment ago. “Besides, isn’t it your job?” he adds before walking out.

For a second ChangKyun stares at the desk before looking up at the man wondering between the shelves again. It was his job to help, wasn’t it? He had to help. It was not like something bad would happen, right?

He pushes the round glasses more up his nose and pulls his navy blue sweater down a bit and walks to the man. His steps are first confident and vigorous, but the closer he gets the timider he becomes. ChangKyun almost turns back yet the man looks at him and there is no way of return.

“Do you need help with something?” ChangKyun asks in half-whisper and steps closer to the man. He is just a bit taller but much bigger and broader. There is a pleasant, almost floral but still earthy scent radiating from him and it’s, honestly, refreshing between all the pages of paper around them.

“Oh! Ummm. Yeah… I guess,” the man’s voice is soft, but deep and raspy at the same time. “I am looking for a book on relationship advice,” he says and a cute lisp makes an appearance. He looks at ChangKyun and not at him at the same time, his eyes being restless and it is in a way adorable, but the book he’s looking for kind of stings in ChangKyun’s chest.

“Well, we have had a few of those in a different aisle,” ChangKyun tries to reply casually and turns around to talk to the said isle.

“Will you have something very, very specific?” the man asks and ChangKyun is forced to stop and turn to him. “I… I need something about asking… asking someone out,” he says with a pink hue now tinting his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“Asking someone out?” ChangKyun raises an eyebrow. “That is very specific indeed,” he smiles, butterflies back to life in his chest even though he could have been talking about anyone - a boy, a girl.

“I just need advice on how to gather courage,” the man smiles shyly and the rosy tint in his cheeks gets only darker.

“Well, if my opinion is as good as the one given by books, I would say just go for it. What is the worst that could happen? But I will look into our book catalog. Perhaps we have something this specific,” he says, trying to save his rather unprofessional answer with few standard sentences.

“When…” the man begins a sentence and ChangKyun turns to him again, but the sentence ends as soon as it starts. The man just shakes his head and follows ChangKyun to the front desk. His eyes don’t leave ChangKyun as he types keywords in the database and it almost seems like he is trying to notice something in ChangKyun or provoke him to say something.

“Unfortunately we don’t have such specific works,” ChangKyun looks up as he begins talking and the man jumps a little, “but I can order one for you from another library. You will need a library card if you don’t have one,” he explains and for a second the man looks lost as he just stares at ChangKyun, the butterflies in the latter’s chest going wild while he tries to keep a professional smile.

“Sure. What kind of information does the card require?” he asks despite still looking quite lost as if this was not going to according to an elaborate plan he had come up with.

“Just fill in this form,” ChangKyun hands him a pen and pre-prepared paper and now takes his chance to stare. From the manly hands, over the building is hidden by the warm winter jacket, to the curves and angles of his face.

“Done,” this time ChangKyun jumps as the man hands him back the form. Shin Wonho reads in the name section and finally, the face has a name.

“Great! The book should be here in about two days,” he smiles and places the form on the desk. He expects Wonho to leave, but he lingers at the counter for a second before mumbling a quick ‘goodbye’ and walking away quickly.

Despite the encounter being a bit awkward, the butterflies in ChangKyun’s chest can’t be tamed. This might mean nothing, this might end in nothing but he can’t stop the pleasant buzzing in his chest, despite how many times it has led him to nothing less than a heartbreak. He was like a romantic novel protagonist - too ready to get hurt over infatuation that might turn out to be nothing in the end. But, this time it felt so much different.

 

The next day comes and passes and in the evening Wonho is back. He walks through the aisles of books with a gym-bag on his shoulder. He does his usual routine for 15 minutes or so before he makes his way to the front desk.

“Excuse me, ChangKyun,” he speaks and for second ChangKyun questions why he knows his name until he remembers he is wearing a name tag. “I think I won’t need the book after all,” he says and the pink hue is back in his cheeks. “I decided to go with your advice instead,” he elaborates and ChangKyun is about to reply a standard phrase about canceling the order, but Wonho continues speaking.

“When do you end work?” he almost pushes the question out too fast, tangling in his own lisp for a second, his cheeks going even redder.

ChangKyun feels his glasses sliding down his nose and his own cheeks turning red, matching the sweater he was wearing today. “The closing time is officially at seven. I still need to lock up and check everything, so around eight, I guess,” he replies and pushes the glasses up, his eyes wandering around the desk rather than looking at Wonho.

“Would you be interested in having coffee… with me?” he continues and ChangKyun forces himself to look up, realizing it’s a mistake when his eyes meet the warm brown ones looking back at him. The packs of butterflies go insane and he barely even hear his own voice over the overwhelming fluttering of their wings.

“I would love to,” ChangKyun replies and the brightest, goofiest smile appears on Wonho’s face and he can’t help but to smile back.

“Then see you around eight,” he almost chirps before half bowing, half waving as he leaves the library, stumbling over his feet a bit. Even when the doors close behind him, the madness in ChangKyun’s chest continues. On one hand, he didn’t believe in what was happening, but on the other - wasn’t it his time for a shojo manga moment?

He counts minutes until the closing time. Locking up and checking the room is done in record time and he is out the front door - locking it - five minutes to eight. He almost jumps when he turns around and sees Wonho sitting on a bench further down the path. His jacket is closed to the very top, a hat pulled over his black hair, two take-out mugs on the bench next to him along with his gym bag.

ChangKyun pulls his scarf higher up, hiding his nose in it, pulls his bag higher up his shoulder and puts his hands the pockets of his rust-brown coat as he walks forward. “Hey,” he greets casually and Wonho jumps up immediately.

“Hi!” he cheers, but it doesn’t save them from a minute of awkward silence. “Umm, the closest coffee shop was closing, so I had to think fast - latte or tea?” he reaches for the two cups and moves first the one containing coffee and then the one containing tea.

“I will go with tea,” ChangKyun smiles at the rather cute actions of the man before him and takes the cup with tea from him. “I guess we can walk a bit then,” he points out. It was indeed a lovely evening for a walk. The cold was biting their cheeks a little, but the yellow and orange leaves on the pavement and between the rows of trees in the park were so full of the light coming from the street-lamps, it almost felt warm.

“Sure. That would be nice,” is Wonho’s response and they begin walking through the park in which the library was nestled in. They walk in silence, stranded leaves rustling underneath their feet, steam rising from the lids of the cups, but it doesn’t feel as awkward as it could feel.

“Can I admit something?” Wonho suddenly speaks and ChangKyun looks at him immediately, nodding in response. “I am not really into books. I prefer googling things or downloading an e-book,” he admits and it is kind of an odd confession from nowhere.

“Weird thing to say after coming to the library for 2 weeks straight without skipping a day,” ChangKyun chuckles and takes a sip from his tea (a lovely rich flavor of mint, he notes).

“The atmosphere of a library is nice after a long day, but that wasn’t really the reason I came either,” he speaks honestly, with a tint of shyness in his voice which he masks by sipping on the latte. “I… Never mind, it’s creepy,” Wonho laughs a little.

“I would like to know, even if it’s creepy,” ChangKyun stops and so does Wonho.

“I came because I wanted to see you,” Wonho looks at nothing in the deep twilight filled park. “The calm feeling in the library and seeing you were a great combination after long days of work. I can’t explain it. It’s kind of creepy,” he laughs again and looks back at ChangKyun who had been looking at him the whole time.

“Well, I liked seeing you there too. I guess we’re both creepy then,” ChangKyun smiles and steps to the side to throw away the empty cup in a bin. He looks at the even layer of leaves on the ground and thinks just for a second before stepping from the sidewalk into the yellow and brown, crunchy mess and continue walking forward through it. A shadow joins him - Wonho walking next to him through the leaves, the sound echoing through the air and mixing with cars passing the park.

“Isn’t this weird? We haven’t even properly introduced ourselves,” ChangKyun blurts out as he looks up and blows a cloud of his breath in the air. He loved autumn for a reason and somehow the raging butterflies in his ribcage told him he would love it even more.

“I’m Shin Wonho and I’m very glad to meet you,” Wonho stops and reaches his hand out.

“Im ChangKyun,” ChangKyun takes his hand in his, “and I am as glad,” he smiles and it’s an odd but pleasant silence between, hands still linked.

This was a star of something neither of them could define, but autumn definitely was about to become their favorite season after this.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BeanSensei)  
>  **OTHER WONKYUN**  
>  **||** [WonKyun drabbles : The Last Of The Real Ones ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13358346) **||** [The Blue Flower ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8245657) **||** [Come Back Alive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8411509) **||** [Addiction Series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/581722) **||** [Leashes and Kisses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740334) **||** [Ribbons and Rings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9198269) **||** [I'm Thankful for You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8347240) **||** [Silent Appreciation](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7733332) **||** [Worth It](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9570284) **||** [Beneath The Surface](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9604883) **||** [A Little Less 16 Candles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9810344) **||** [Mechanical Feelings series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/959832) **||**[Cat Person](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13935078) **||**[Growth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14009844)


End file.
